Curriculum: 8th Grade

Comparative Judaism, Comparative Religions, and God

The objective of this class is to learn more about who we are as Reform Jews, and to learn where our particular branch of Judaism fits in the mosaic of world Religions. We will also strive to understand the religions of our neighbors, and strive to find commonality between the faiths.

Texts: God: Jewish Choices for Struggling with the Ultimate (Teacher’s Resource), The Many Faces of Judaism, Judaism and the World’s Religions, (teacher’s resource)

Torah Aura’s Apples and Oranges Curriculum

Goals:

  • Explore what makes us Jewish
  • Understand the branches of Judaism
  • Learn how we are alike and how we differ from other religions

Judaism:

  • Our Roots
  • Reform Judaism
  • Orthodox Judaism
  • Conservative Judaism
  • Reconstructionist Judaism
  • Other branches of Judaism

World Religions:

  • Christianity
  • Catholicism
  • Protestantism
  • Other Christian branches
  • Islam
  • Buddhism
  • Cults, Extremists, factionists

This class is meant to be a catalyst for discussion each week into the ways we look at ourselves and others. Stereotypes should be brought to light and explored using the text books as resources for understanding.